Apparatus for conveying envelope blanks



June l$, 1935.

P. BECKER APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING ENVELOPE BLANKS Filed July 24. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l m m n W Pa Zerfieder.

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June 18, 1935. P. BECKER APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING ENVELOE BLANKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 24, 1931 INVENTOR. Fe 62 3 ecielf c/Z pldx NEYS.

Patented June 18, 1935 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING ENVELOPE BLANKS Peter Becker, Dusseldorf/Wersten,

United States signor to Springfield, Mass,

Germany, as- Envelope Company,

a corporation of Maine Application July 24, 1931, Serial No. 552,969 vIn Germany July 24, 1930 3 Claims. (Cl. 198-31) 'I'he present invention relates to the manufacture of window envelopes of the one-piece type,

that is, envelopes in which an integral portion of each envelope =5 stantially transparent by treatment with asuitable penetrating varnish or similar substance.

In the manufacture of this type of envelope, a suitable varnish is applied to each envelope blank, and said blanks are then subjected to a high heat for causing the varnish to impregnate the material of the envelope thoroughly and for subsequently drying the varnish after the impregnation is complete. The output of prior machines of this character has been relatively small because of the window printing and varnishing r blank, would permit drying time necessary for obtaining complete impregnation of the blank and subsequent complete drying of the varnish. The slow operation of the drying structure diminishes the output of the machine used in connection therewith so that the latter cannot be utilized to its full capacity. An increase in the size of the drying device increase the drying time for each envelope a greater output for the 'device. Such an increase is not practical, however, since the increased size would render the device unwieldly, and the construction andoperation of the device would be difficult if not impossible.

I On the other hand, if the drying device were t; speeded up to increase the output, it would become necessary to increase the heat in the drying chamber to such an extent that the material of the envelope blank would be injured, thereby weakening the structure of the completed enprinting and varnishing 40' velope. Since the maximum heat in the chamber is limited by reason of the detrimental effect on the blank and since the size of the drier for satisfactory operation is limited, the output of the machine used in combination with the drying device has been limited to an amount substantially less than the normal output of the printing and varnishing machine itself. The principal object of the present invention is accordingly to provide a structure which will be capable of handling and drying the entire output of the printing and varnishing. machine when the latter is operated at its full capacity.

By allowing a longer time for the blanks to remain in the drying chamber, the heat necessary for causing the varnish to impregnate the blank and for drying the blank may be materially re duced, and the present invention is also arranged v to provide for an increase in the drying time without diminishing the output beyond the-normal blank is rendered whollyor suboutput of the printing and drying mechanisms now in use. I

According to the present invention, the printing and varnishing mechanism operates in conjunction with a plurality of conveyors which carry 5 the treated blanks through the drying chamber. The invention is arranged to distribute the treated blanks from the printing and varnishing machines uniformly between the several conveyors.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is an elevation of a machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine of Fig. 1 with the drying chamber shown in section.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the diiferent figures.

The envelope blanks which are to be treated are placed in a stack I on the printing and varnishing machine 2 which is of any suitable construction such as that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,540,295, granted to Swift, July 2, 1925. In this machine, an ink border is printed on the outer face of each envelope blank and the impregnating and transparentizing fluid is subsequently applied to its inner surface. The treated blanks are then delivered by the machine 2 to conveyor tapes 3 suitably driven in connection with said machine. From the tapes 3, the blanks are delivered one by one onto conveyor tapes 3' which extends from the delivery end of the conveyor tapes 3 horizontally toward the drying mechanism and the delivery end of the tapes 3 are positioned between conveyor tapes 4 forming a part of the conveying and drying mechanism. The conveyor tapes 4 are positioned centrally between opposite ends of horizontal transversely extending rollers 4' and similar conveyor tapes 5 and 6 are positioned adjacent opposite ends of said rollers on opposite sides of the conveyor tapes 4. One of the rollers 4' is suitably driven at the desired speed for actuating the conveyor tapes, thereby advancing the blanks into the drying chamber.

The conveyor tapes 3' deliver the impregnated blanks successively one at a time into a position directly above the conveyor tapes 4, in the position of the blank a. From this position, one blank out of each group of three is drawn trans" versely and positioned on the conveyor tapes 5 and another blank out of each three is shifted transversely onto the conveyor tapes 6. The third blank of each group is allowed to remain on the conveyor tapes 3' to be delivered onto the conveyor tapes 4.

The mechanism by which the blanks are delivered from the tapes 3' to the tapes 5 and 6 is best indicated in Fig. 1. As shown, the machine 2 provides lugs I and 8 which support shafts 1' and 8' respectively on which the bell crank levers 9 and I0 are pivotally mounted. The long arm of the lever 9 carries a gripper 9' at the outer end thereof in a position to engage one corner of an envelope blank when the arm-is swung inwardly toward tapes 3' in the position of the blank 01.. Similarly the long arm of the bell crank lever IB carries a gripper Ill in a position for engagement with a corner of the blank positioned on the conveyor tapes 3 in the position of the blank a. Both of the grippers 9 and ID are suitably actuated by any well-known mechanism for engaging and gripping blanks on the conveyor tapes 3' when said blanks are in the position of blank 11. and for releasing said blanks when the latter are positioned over the tapes 5 or 6 in the position of blanks c or b.-

The opposite or short arm of the lever 9 is connected to a rod H, the free end of which engages a cam I3 on the main drive shaft 15 of the printing and varnishing machine, the rod ll being held in engagement with said cam by a spring l3. Similarly, the short arm of the bell crank lever i0 is connected to a rod l2, the end of which engages a cam H! on the drive shaft l5 and said rod is held in engagement with said cam by a spring l4.

Rotation of the shaft l5 procures a swinging movement of the levers 9 and 10 in timed relation to the delivery of treated blanks. The grippers and 10' are thus swung into a position for engagement with blanks on the conveyor tapes 3 at a proper time for engagement with a blank for moving the latter onto either the conveyor tapes 5 or the conveyor tapes 6.

The heating and drying device comprises a chamber is in which a plurality of conveyor chains 29, 33 and 3! are positioned. Adjacent the top of the chamber is journaled a horizontal shaft 2| which is driven from the drive shaft l5 of the printing and varnishing machine through a chain 26 which engages a sprocket 25 on the shaft 15 and a sprocket 2'? on the shaft 2 I. On the portion of the shaft 2| within the chamber are positioned, in spaced relation to each other, sprockets 22, 23 and 24 on which the chains 29, 3B and 3| are carried, the lower portions of said chains being supported by guide rollers 28 so that said conveyor chains depend vertically from the sprockets. The chains 29, 39 and 3| are provided with carrier arms 32, 33 and 34 respectively which project substantially perpendicularly to the line of movement of said chain for supporting the treated envelope blanks. The chain connection 26 causes the conveyor chains to move in timed relation to the printing and varnishing machine.

From the conveyor tapes 4, 5 and 6, on'which the blanks are positioned by the above described mechanism, said blanks are delivered to conveyor tapes l6, l1 and I8 which extend, as indicated in Fig. 1, from the delivery end of the tapes 4, 5 and 6- to a position adjacent the lower portion =of the conveyor chains. The blanks are advanced on said conveyor tapes l6, I1 and I8 into the drying chamber and toward the carrier arms 32, 33 and 34 respectively. Said arms engage beneath the blanks as they reach the delivery ends a blank positioned on the conveyor the drying chamber support of the tapes I6, I! and I8 and are supported in a position to be engaged by said conveyor arms. The sides of the conveyor chains adjacent the delivery ends of the tapes l5, l1 and 3 are moving upwardly and the blanks are removed from said conveyor tapes by the carrier arms and carried by said conveyor chains vertically upward through the heating and drying chamber and subsequently downward in said chamber. As the blanks reach the lower portion of the chains on the downwardly moving sides thereof, said blanks are delivered to conveyor tapes 35, 36 and 31. The latter tapes remove the blanks from the conveyor chains and carry said blanks out of for delivery to conveyor tapes 35, 3t" and 31' respectively. These lastmentioned tapes deliver the impregnated and dried blanks to a suitable collecting and stacking 38 of any suitable construction.

In the operation of the machine, the blanks are automatically taken one at a time from the stack I and passed through the printing and varnishing machine onto the conveyor tapes 3 from which they are automatically delivered to the conveyor tapes 3. One blank on the conveyor tape 3 as it reaches the position of the blank a is engaged by the gripper 9 as the arm 9 swings inwardly in response to rotation of the drive shaft I5, and said blank is shifted transversely and dropped on the conveyor tapes 5. The successive blank on the tapes 3 as it reaches the position of the blank a is engaged by the grippers ID in response to inward swinging movement of the lever l0 and is then shifted by said lever onto the tapes 6. The succeeding blank remains on the tape 3 and is delivered directly therefrom to the tapes 4. The cycle then begins again with the next blank on the tapes 3 being shifted transversely and positioned on the tapes 5. The output of the machine 2 is accordingly distributed between three separate conveyor systems and the blanks on the three separate conveyor tapes l, 5 and 6 are advanced into the drying chamber and onto carrier arms on the conveyor chains 29, 30 and 3| respectively. The blanks are carried upwardly and downwardly through the heating chamber by the conveyor chains 29, 30 and 3|, said chamber being maintained at the proper temperature by any suitable mechanism.

By the provision of the plurality of conveyor meachanisms between which the output of the printing and varnishing machine is uniformly distributed, the printing machine may be operated at its fullcapacity without increasing the rate of movement of the blanks through the heating chamber, as would be necessary if only a single conveyor chain in the heating chamber were utilized. At the same time, if the heat in the chamber necessary for complete impregnation and thorough drying of the blanks be so great as to be detrimental to the material of the blanks, the rate of movement of said blanks through the chamber may be reduced, thereby permitting a reduction in the temperature in the drying chamber without diminishing the output of the machine 2 below the normal output of prior art machines.

I claim:-

1. A conveyor and separator for envelopes and the like, comprising a horizontal conveyor for transporting varnished wet envelopes, a plurality of other horizontal conveyors situated side by side with respect to each other, one of the second-mentioned horizontal conveyors forming a continuation oi the first-mentioned conveyor, a driving shaft, a gripper situated over the second-mentioned horizontal conveyors, means actuated by said driving shaft for moving said gripper, said gripper transporting some of said envelopes from one of the second-mentioned horizontal conveyors to another one of the secondmentioned horizontal conveyors, and vertical conveyors forming a continuation of the secondmentioned horizontal conveyors.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a conveyor for advancing envelope blanks one by one, and a plurality of vertically positioned conveyor mechanisms, among which said blanks are distributed, of a horizontal conveyor for each of said vertical conveyor mechanisms by which the blanks are advanced from said first conveyor to said conveyor mechanisms, and gripper means for distributing the blanks from said first conveyor uniformly among said plurality of horizontal conveyors.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a conveyor for advancing envelope blanks one by one, and a plurality of vertically positioned conveyor mechanisms, among which said blanks are distributed, of a horizontal conveyor for each of said vertical conveyor mechanisms by which the blanks are advanced from said first conveyor to said conveyor mechanisms, and means operated in timed relation to the first conveyor for distributing the blanks uniformly among said horizontal conveyors.

PETER BECKER. 

